earticle

영어

The blends of Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) have been recognized as a replacement for commodity plastic films and bags in biodegradable packaging industries. The purpose of this study is to identify changes in the thermal and mechanical properties of PLA/PBAT blends with the addition of poly(ethylene oxide)(PEO). PLA (80%) and PBAT (20%) were melt mixed with 0 to 10 phr of PEO and processed using a hot press. The addition of PEO into PLA/PBAT increased the elongation at break and improved thermal stability. With PEO addition, two melting temperature (Tm) peaks of PLA/PBAT merged into one peak showing improved miscibility. The result of this study showed that the addition of PEO increased the ductility and thermal stability of PLA/PBAT blends.